Why Ohio State needs to beware of potential trap game against UCLA

The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes host the UCLA Bruins Saturday in a matchup the home team is heavily favored in (-32.5). However, after the Bruins upset another ranked Big Ten team earlier in the season, Ohio State may have to give UCLA more credit than their record shows.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) signs autographs following the NCAA football game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. on Nov. 8, 2025. Ohio State won 34-10. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After breezing past the Purdue Boilermakers 34-10, the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes continue their quest to become back-to-back national champions. Sitting firmly as the top team in both the AP Top 25 and College Football Playoff rankings, and with only one ranked opponent left this season, the Buckeyes appear as though they are the most confident team in the nation.

Despite almost everything going right for Ohio State this year, the program must stay focused and treat its next three games of the regular season as if they are each championship games themselves.

This final stretch begins Saturday, as the volatile UCLA Bruins come to Columbus with nothing to lose. As the Buckeyes march towards the playoffs, they must prepare themselves for a potential trap game against a Bruins team who has already defeated one top ranked Big Ten team.

UCLA began their season 0-4 before upsetting then ranked No. 7 Penn State, kicking off a three-game winning streak. During media availability Tuesday, Ohio State coach Ryan Day praised the Bruins and their quarterback Nico Iamaleava for their toughness throughout the season.

“I’m watching [Iamaleava] the last few weeks, man he’s physical, he runs hard. He takes some shots, and he keeps coming back. He’s a competitor man, I got a lot of respect for him as a player,” Day said. “We know this is a great challenge for our team, and it starts with him.”

Ryan Day has a lot of respect for Nico Iamaleava and said that the UCLA quarterback will challenge the Ohio State defense on Saturday. "He's a warrior." pic.twitter.com/YCJxZfxUPL

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 11, 2025

Iamaleava began his college career with the Tennessee Volunteers before leaving the program to join the Bruins. Since losing four straight, UCLA is 3-2 with Iamaleava, who threw for 871 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions during that stretch. He also rushed for 267 yards and three touchdowns.

To avoid the unthinkable, the Buckeyes must shut down Iamaleava’s run game early, which shouldn’t be too tall of a task for the sensational linebacker duo of Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles. Getting the Bruin offense off the field fast sets up Ohio State’s prolific offense to attack a defense that is giving up almost 380 yards a game.

If there are any nerves from the coaches or players as they approach Saturday’s matchup, all they need to do is look what the team below them in the rankings did a couple weeks ago. After the Bruins had their surprising mid-season turnaround, the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers came around and knocked them back into reality with a 56-6 beatdown victory.

All of UCLA’s wins this season have come from opponents with a combined record of 10-17, with all their losses coming from teams with a combined record of 42-14. The Bruins have a ceiling this season, and that is beating programs with losing records.

Playing Ohio State in Columbus, a place where Iamaleava lost during the playoffs last season 42-17, is one of the hardest tasks in college football this season.

So, rest assured, the Buckeyes should have this game put away before halftime comes around. The Bruins will need nothing short of multiple miracles to pull off another Big Ten upset, especially against the No. 1 team in the nation.